Cedric's Christmas Day
Disclaimer: Harry Potter, all places and characters, the names et cetera belong to Mrs J.K Rowling, her publishers (there are so much of them, so, well …), and Warner Brothers™. All rights reserved. This is not meant as theft or insult – I wrote it for fun. I own the story.
Additional disclaimer: I do NOT own, nor do I claim to own or intend to copy or own, the quotations of Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory from the end of Chapter 23 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. That, as well, belongs to J.K Rowling and her publishers. This is not intended theft or insult either.
Rating: G (K)
Happy Birthday To You!
Happy Birthday To You!
Happy Birthday, Dear Amanda
Happy Birthday To You!
Joyeux anniversaire
Joyeux anniversaire
Joyeux anniversaire Amanda
Joyeuxanniversaire!
Jag gratulerar,
Jag gratulerar,
Jag gratulerar på din Födelsedag!
Med blommor och med blader,
Jag göra dig glader
Jag gratulerar på din födelsedag!
Author's Notes: To Amanda on her 16th Birthday. It is a bit late – I am sorry. Cedric Diggory was her HP-darling last summer. I remember spoiling her Confirmation day by telling her that he died on 24th June – the confirmation day. This story does not contain any spoilers for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and is therefore posted here.
Cedric's Christmas Day
Cedric stood in front of the mirror in the dormitory. He combed his blonde hair, making it lie flat. It was an easy affair. Dragging the comb through it a last time, he put it down. As he adjusted his sleeves, he caught sight of his watch. He began pacing downstairs to the Common Room, his dress robes flying around his feet. He was supposed to meet Cho outside the Great Hall in five minutes.
The Yule Ball was supposed to be held in the Great Hall at eight o'clock. So Professor Sprout had told them after a Herbology lesson a while ago. After that lesson, Cedric had immediately gone to find Cho, and asked her out. She was happy to say yes. There were just a couple of minutes left now.
The Great Hall was, as Cedric had suspected, crowded with students from the fourth year and above. Cedric vaguely wondered whether the fourth-year age limit was because Harry was a contestant … He had heard it traditionally was fifteen …
When the Triwizard Tournament had been made official at the feast of the first day back at school, Cedric had immediately began considering entering. He had turned seventeen the week before Hallowe'en, the day the Goblet of Fire made its decision.
Well, Harry had enter, as well, though, to the confusion of Dumbledore and McGonagall, to the terror and favour of Karkaroff and Madame Maxime and to Ludo Bagman's pleasure – Cedric sometimes thought Mr Bagman was actually happy Harry had entered the competition. Madame Maxime and Karkaroff – the latter, mostly – had immediately begun blaming Dumbledore. They suspected him, and blamed him and the Ministry for having put up the Tournament for Hogwarts to gain glory.
Cedric and his father both agreed that Karkaroff and Madame Maxime both had agreed to enter to prove that Dumbledore was just a human and that there was not anything special with the school. And they had probably told both Fleur and Krum precisely what the first task – dragons – was. Though, all the contestants had known it: Harry had got the information somehow – he did not want to tell Cedric – and had told Cedric, so all the contest ants had known as much as the other.
Then, Cho began climbing down the white marble staircase of the Hall. She was very beautiful this evening. Her long, black hair was set up in a pony tail which was lying flat on her back. Her big, black eyes were wide and fixed upon Cedric; they shone – she smiled.
'Hi, love,' she said as she approached him. He blinked and Cedric melted in front of her as he saw her long, black eyelashes.
'Hello,' he replied, and kissed his girlfriend. After a moment, they hastily broke apart: Professor McGonagall strode up, a swift of tartan robes around her legs as she hurried past, half-sprinting.
'Oh, here you are, Diggory – Chang,' she said as she approached them. 'Good gracious I found you. The school champions and their representatives are supposed to dance the opening dance. Surely Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick told you this?'
Cho nodded as Cedric said, 'Yes, she did, Professor.'
'Good. Please go over here to Miss Delacour with Davies and Mr Krum and Miss Granger while I go and fetch Potter. Ah, he's coming here, with one of the Patil twins. Good. Line up here while people enter the Great Hall: ladies to the left and men to the right.' When all the students had crammed themselves into the Hall, Professor McGonagall started going. 'Follow me.'
Backs straight and faces proud, they marched off into the Great Hall. Fleur and Davies first, then they – Cedric and Cho – following. Krum with Hermione Granger were at their heels, and at last, Harry and the Patil twin.
When Fleur and Davies had reached up to the high table, they stepped aside and the four contestants with partners stood side by side in front of the table. The judges watched them; Cedric noticed Mr Crouch's absence. His chair was filled in by Percy Weasley, last year's Head Boy.
Next to sat Ludo Bagman in his yellow dress robes, the colour of his former Quidditch Team, Wimbourne Wasps, looking a bit like the Quidditch robes he wore at the Quidditch World Cup that summer, a week before the school started, and Cedric and his father had had to go by Portkey as Cedric had not yet turned seventeen. On the other side of him was Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling in their usual way, and his long, white beard and moustache twitching as he smiled.
Next to Dumbledore was the enormous Madame Maxime of Beauxbatons, in a satin dress with her usual opals of various sizes around her neck. And next to her, at the far end of the table, was Karkaroff, Durmstrang's Headmaster, with his goatee and black eyes glaring at Krum's partner, Hermione Granger.
It took a while before Cedric discovered the reason behind this odd behaviour, but then he suddenly remembered that Hermione Granger was Muggle-Born, and Durmstrang was known for raising wizards to dislike Muggle-Borns …
Music was turned on, and Cedric took gold of Cho's waist. As she put her arm around his shoulder, he started to dance in the waltz. Even when the opening dance was over, Cedric and Cho continued to dance for an hour or so before the dinner was served.
Cedric found a table for two, but as they arrived, they all fell nonplussed. At the table were a couple of plates, with cutlery and goblets, a lantern with light and two handsomely printed pieces of parchment, one at each plate.
Up at the high table, Dumbledore read through his paper, cleared his throat, and sad, 'Pork chops!' The meat appeared at his plate. Round in the hall, people began following suit. Cedric and Cho examined their lists of food which were full of many different specialities. In the end, Cedric chose turkey, as it was Christmas Day, after all. Cho, however, preferred mushroom stew and potatoes.
After they had finished eating, Cho declared she needed to go to the bathroom. She kissed Cedric goodbye, and left him. At the other side of the Hall was Harry with his friend Ron Weasley and the two twins. A student from Beauxbatons asked Harry's partner up … She never returned to him.
''Lo, laddie.'
'Hello, Professor Moody!' Cedric gestured him to sit, and the teacher sat down in Cho's empty chair. He took a swig from his hip flask, and surveyed Cedric for a bit. 'How's the egg going?'
'Er …' He went taken aback by this question. He thought to tell the truth and say, 'fine', but he could not let himself lie in front of a teacher. 'Not very well,' he said at last, 'it wails when I open it and I can't figure out what it means.'
There was a moment of silence. Professor Moody looked thoughtful; his eye was spinning around in its locket, probably looking around over the Hall. Cedric took a sip of his glass.
'You know,' said Moody at last, 'when I've got a problem, I usually take a bath.' Cedric could not help but notice the emphasis of the three last words. 'I really think you should try that two.' And with a pat on Cedric's shoulder, Moody slowly rose, and limped away.
A couple of hours later, when the ball had ended, Cedric was about to pull Harry aside, but he was too quick. Instead, he screamt, 'Hey – Harry!'
'Yeah?' said Harry coldly as Cedric ran up the marble staircase. He made sure he looked like he did not want to be disturbed and Harry's friend shrugged, and went away.
'Listen …' he lowered his voice. 'I owe you one for telling me about the dragons. You know that golden egg? Does yours wail when you open it?'
'Yeah.'
'Well … take a bath, OK?' Cedric smiled.
'What?' Harry looked a tad confused.
'Take a bath and – er – take the egg with you, and – er – just mull things over in the hot water. It'll help you think … Trust me.'
Harry stared at him.
'Tell you what, use the Prefects' bathroom. Fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor. Password's Pine fresh. Gotta go … want to say good night –' Cedric grinned before going back to Cho.
Author's Notes: Happy Birthday, again! The continuing is in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, unbelievable, is it not? Excuse my eventual spelling and grammar mistakes, as English is my second language and I did not let a beta proof read it.